Alt text, or alternative text, is primarily used in formatting eBooks for accessibility. Screen readers rely on it to describe images aloud to visually impaired users. Atticus allows authors to easily include Alt Text when required. If you’re not sure when and/or where your book needs alt text, we have a more thorough explanation of the accessibility standards in our tutorial, Accessible eBooks: How to Write Good Alt Text.
In very short summary, you’ll want to imagine someone reading your book with images turned off or using a screen reader. Your goal is to capture the essential point of each image — no more, no less.
This tutorial will take you step-by-step to accomplish this in your eBooks using Atticus.
Where to Apply Alt Text in Atticus
You can apply alt text to the following:
Images within the body content of a chapter or page:
Inline images added to the main content of a chapter will have the Alt text available when you edit your image.
Full page images:
These will be exported with their alt text if provided.
Chapter Header Images (Image Element):
When a unique image is manually inserted per chapter, you’ll see an Alt text box much the same as in the previous image for inline chapter images. You will need to upload the image before the Alt text box option will show.
Where Alt Text Is Not Supported or Required
Some image-related elements cannot accept alt text or do not require it:
Scene breaks: Generally decorative; not suitable for alt text
Chapter header background images: Rendered as CSS backgrounds; not detected as true images by ePub readers or the ACE accessibility checker
Chapter header image (same across all chapters): Considered decorative if reused across all chapters; unlikely to convey essential meaning
Publisher logo: Accessibility compliance is met via the Publisher Name field
Cover image: Cover images in Atticus are not embedded in the interior content; they do not support alt text and do not require alt text for accessibility compliance
How to Decide When to Use Alt Text
Step 1: Does the image contain text?
Yes
Is the text also written nearby in real, editable text?
NO ALT TEXT: it’s redundant.
Example: A logo with the brand name written in a header above/below it.
Is the text purely decorative (flourishes, etc.)?
NO ALT TEXT: it’s not meaningful.
Example: Swirly flourish behind a chapter title or a scene break
Is the text part of a linked image?
Use alt text to explain what the image does or links to.
Example: alt=”Go to Table of Contents”
Is the text not shown anywhere else?
Use alt text to write out the text.
Example: alt=”Quote: The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
No
Step 2: Is the image part of a link or button?
Step 3: Does the image add meaning to the page?
Step 4: Is the image purely decorative?
If you’d like to read more about accessibility standards and requirements, please dig into our guide on How to Write Good Alt Text. When adding images to your books in Atticus, if Alt text is required to meet regulations, there will be an Alt text box for you to add your short, concise summary. If you don’t see an Alt Text box, it likely means alt text is not required in that circumstance.
We hope this helps, but you are always welcome to get in touch with our support team if you have any questions!